


Curious Nightowls

by Helioste (themedic_josef)



Series: The Collector [3]
Category: Destiny (Video Game)
Genre: Fireteam Nightowls, Gen, a LOT of ambiguity, ambiguous resurrection, especially on the stormcaller and sunsinger classes, gender-neutral Collector
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2019-02-02 22:56:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12735996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themedic_josef/pseuds/Helioste
Summary: The Collector is approached by a curious Hunter from Fireteam Nightowls, eager to learn about them and also gravely uneducated about the weight of their duty. The Collector is more than happy to provide a solemn education.This is the third installment of 'The Collector' series. I advise you read the first part to understand who and what the Collector is!





	Curious Nightowls

**Author's Note:**

> Okay! I've had the Collector drawn and their image cemented in my mind for weeks on end and I figured, 'hey I have a cold I'll sit here and try to scoop together the last of my working brain cells to write this!'
> 
> Please don't mind my vague take on 'what if a Guardian was resurrected with TWO subclasses?!?!' because I have a million trails of thought at once and next thing you know, this shit happens :V Fireteam Nightowls are all my sweet children I've made up and they will have their own story/stories soon-ish-kinda! Other than that, enjoy!

It was only a light drizzle that fell on the Last City and yet that was enough to see the Plaza near-empty, a pleasant silence settling over the usually bustling Tower for once. There were few Guardians in sight, most of them jogging towards the Vaults or to the dutiful Postmaster before heading down the stairs to likely report to the Vanguard, or make excuses to Lord Shaxx as to why he hadn’t seen them in his Crucible yet. It was a nice change, the Collector thought to themselves as they looked out over the City below. They smiled beneath the white surface of their helmet, immersed in their thoughts and revisiting what few precious pleasant memories they held, when the patter of boots against wet stone approached.

“Hey!”

“Jax, no! Leave them alone!”

The Collector turned to face the voices that approached, seeing an Awoken Hunter at the fore heading directly towards them and an Awoken Warlock quickly trying to catch up to his friend.

“Is there something I can assist with?” The Collector asked calmly as the Hunter skidded to a stop, hood falling from his head and exposing vibrant purple hair and pale blue skin, glowing eyes staring up at the taller white-clad Warlock.

“Yeah, I was wondering why everyone’s so afraid of y-!” Before the Hunter, presumably the one named Jax, could finish a hand clamped firmly over his mouth, the Warlock that had been running after him grabbing his friend.

“I am _so_ sorry for bothering you! Jax is new to the Tower, he doesn’t know the status you hold here. I’m sorry.” The Warlock said quickly, Jax struggling against the firm hold on him and managing to loosen the grip on his mouth.

“Jadun! I just wanted to know why everyone acts all weird around this guy!” Jax defended, shoving his friend off as a human Titan came over to what the Collector assumed was the rest of his fireteam.

“It’s quite alright, young one, I don’t mind the questions.” The Collector said calmly, raising a hand to hush the Warlock’s rushed apologies. “Please, Hunter, continue.”

Jax looked at Jadun, smirking a little at his friend before turning back to the Collector rather expectantly.

“So, why _do_ people act weird around you?” Jax asked, the Collector tilting their head just a little in contemplation.

“Many Guardians find my line of duty disturbing, and I cannot blame them for that.” The Collector said calmly, turning away from the railing and facing the two Guardians before him. “The recovery of deceased Ghosts does not settle well, as it brings out the deepest fear of it happening to their own Ghosts.”

As the Collector spoke, they watched Jax’s smug look fall to something far more melancholy. That alone suggested that the Hunter had not been fully debriefed on their role; such a poor, naïve Guardian that stood before them, it almost broke the Collector’s heart to have to put him through this.

“You are new to the Tower, yes?” The Collector asked gently, receiving a little nod from Jax. “I apologise for thrusting this knowledge upon you, though you did ask. I take it your friends have declined to inform you of my role, through their own discomfort?”

“Yes, Jackal and myself couldn’t… we couldn’t bring ourselves to say it.” Jadun said quietly as he gestured to the Titan that had joined them, unable to look at the Collector. “Apologies.”

“It’s not a problem, I understand my presence alone creates a great sense of unease. The knowledge of my duty is… bothersome… in and of itself. I do not blame you for not informing your friend.” They said calmly in response, watching Jadun shift awkwardly and move himself away somewhat from the other Warlock with growing unease. The Hunter instead frowned, looking down and thinking to himself for a moment.

“Has anyone ever seen your face?”

That one took the Collector by surprise, looking down at the Hunter again. Such an intriguing character, his curiosity was something that rarely crossed the Collector’s path as few other Guardians had the same bravery, or naivety, to approach.

“No, save for the Speaker.” The Collector answered after a moment, pausing for a moment before speaking again. “Would you want to see what lies beneath this helmet?” They asked the Hunter, Jax looking at the other two from his fireteam. Jadun was shaking his head, while the Titan, Jackal, remained indifferent and stoic to the last. Jax looked back at the Collector, nodding after a moment.

“Jax, we really shouldn’t be bothering them, we have a mission we need to do.” Jadun warned the Hunter, Jax waving him off.

“It’ll be quick, you guys go on ahead if you really don’t want to see.” The Hunter said quickly, Jackal giving a thoughtful rumble.

“We will stay with you, Jax. Please, continue.” He said, nodding to the Collector calmly. The Warlock dressed all in white and blue-decorated robes nodded, gloved hands coming up and unclasping their helmet to pull it off. The hearts of the three younger Guardians before them were racing nervously, none of them knowing what to expect until dark skin greeted them. When the helmet came away completely, they were in a state of shock, even the stoic Jackal. Dark skin, smooth and untouched until it came to around their eyes on a face that was neither masculine nor feminine. The eyes were as white as pearls, shining somewhat in the dull drizzly day around them, while the skin around them was cracked and stained a brilliant shining gold. It burned like the Solar and crackled like the Arc, running down from the small affected area around the Collector’s eyes and embedded in the rich, dark skin like shining, long-dried tears.

A soft noise left each of the gathered Guardians before them, the Collector looking over each of them with their shimmering eyes and painted skin and watching each of the fireteam squirm under their gaze. Jadun was the first to break the uncomfortable, palpable silence.

“What… What happened to you?”

“Nothing did.” The Collector replied, calm and unperturbed by their reactions. They had expected something like this, if not with more horror and vocalisation of surprise. “Simply, I was reborn what you now call a Stormcaller and simultaneously a Sunsinger.”

“Wait, at the same _time_?” Jadun said, eyes going wide in abject horror. It was difficult enough to maintain balance between the pull of the three subclasses after _learning_ them, to have been _reborn_ with two of the most potent…

“Yes. This,” The Collector gestured to their eyes, “was the result. I do not find that I regret nor despise what happened. While I was learning to control my abilities, over time I discovered I had another gift concerning these powers. It now manifests itself as the duty I hold that young Guardians understandably fear.”

The trio stood there in stunned silence, Jax almost regretting asking but at the same time his curiosity was sated now that he knew what lay beneath. The Collector waited patiently for them to ask their questions, but none of them could pluck up the courage to and at least not before the Collector’s Ghost pinged with a message from the Speaker.

“Apologies, young Lights, I must leave you to your duties now. The Speaker has requested my presence.” The Collector said softly, nodding to each of them and watching them all numbly nod back before they replaced their helmet and quietly, calmly, strode to the Tower North. Perhaps that fireteam would visit them again with a multitude of questions, not that the Collector minded their silence.

“Good afternoon, Collector.” The Speaker’s voice greeted them, as warm and gentle as ever.

“Speaker.” The Collector responded, heading up the winding stairs to the candlelit corner the Speaker had claimed for himself. It felt homely. “Is there something the matter?”

“Not at all, I merely wished to see how my oldest friend is doing on a day like today.” The Speaker said calmly, the nonchalance in his tone raising one of the Collector’s brows.

“You know, you don’t need to play coy, Speaker. I can tell when you are listening in on my conversations with Guardians, as few and far between as they are.” They said, shaking their head and smiling beneath their helmet. “I am fine, and I can only hope I haven’t planted the beginnings of nightmares in the three Guardians that I showed my face to.”

The Speaker simply gave a soft chuckle, moving over to the other. “I’m sure they will be fine. Fireteam Nightowls has been through far worse than one would think for how jovial they act half of the time.” He soothed, gently taking the Collector’s hand and running a thumb over their palm. That was something the Collector adored about the Speaker, his innate ability to just talk and melt away fears and worries and concerns with just a few words. It was inspiring, and comforting on days where the Collector doubted themselves. The Speaker would always be there, studying. Studying the Traveller, studying the Light and the Ghosts, tucked away in his little corner of the Tower where the antics of Guardians didn’t always reach and where the frustrated shouts of the Vanguard or the Factions didn’t carry. Where the candles and lanterns flickered away slowly, radiating a soothing warmth and light and comfort to even the most troubled of passers-by. The Collector didn’t know what they’d do if they were without the Speaker, they pondered briefly as they removed their helmet again and set it gently on the papers-covered desk.

“Still, you are the most incredible thing I have ever seen.” The Speaker said softly, voice low and calming in such a way it had the Collector _blushing_.

“Now, you need to hush before someone overhears. I know it is in your title to speak, but just this once be silent.” The Collector smiled, watching as it drew a soft chuckle from the other. They still weren’t sure where they’d be if they hadn’t had the Speaker by their side all these long years to reassure them, to shoo their worries about their appearance and comfort them on the mixture of Solar and Arc embedded in their skin from a long, long life.


End file.
